A birthday surprise from outgoing Ibrox manager as he lets his hair down with two strikers

It worked a treat. Players were queuing up at the back post to send Rangers into the last 16 of the Europa League. Whether or not that is the present Smith truly wanted has been heavily debated, but the manager deserves to take all the credit going for turning his game-plan on its head.

Smith invited Ally McCoist, his summer successor, to watch and learn as he began the match with five defenders. In the second minute of injury time, when Maurice Edu gleefully scored the decisive equaliser, there were probably another four team-mates equally well placed to bundle the ball into the net, such had been the switch of purpose.

In truth, Rangers had no option but to go for broke after allowing Sporting to overturn their one-goal lead on the night. El-Hadji Diouf had been charged with scoring the goal which Rangers, at the very least, required to progress. While he got it, it still was not enough. Rangers left it late to repair the damage which goals from Pedro Mendes and Yannick Djalo had looked to have done to their European ambitions this season.

Old boys were the story of the first half, with the 40-year-old David Weir involved in the concession of an equaliser to Sporting just prior to half time. Of course, it had to be Mendes, once an Ibrox favourite, who took full advantage of the series of mistakes. Weir missed a cross and Kyle Bartley, positioned just behind him, proved not alert enough to bail out his captain.

The ball cannoned off him and fell conveniently for Mendes, who scored only his second goal for Sporting since joining from Rangers at the start of last year. Weir had hoped to put behind him an Old Firm derby experience on Sunday which persuaded many to reach a predictable conclusion.

But players a decade younger would have struggled to keep up with Gary Hooper's pace and movement that afternoon. If the Rangers defender is perceived to be in a battle with creaking joints, then he was further handicapped last night by a bout of food poisoning on the eve of the match.

However uncharitable the assessment of Weir's performance by Rangers fans following Sunday's game, the defender's inclusion last night had to be greeted with some relief.

Indeed, his availability was central to the way Rangers set out, with Bartley and Madjid Bougherra employed on either side of the veteran.

Critics may have interpreted their presence as support for the faltering Weir, but the five-man rearguard - Sasa Papac and Richard Foster filled the full-back berths - is a staple formation when Rangers play away in European competition.Indeed, it is even sometimes preferred by Smith at home.

It appeared to work at first too, as Sporting dominated possession while rarely looking like scoring. Having emerged unscathed from these opening stages, Rangers then looked to exploit Sporting's recent vulnerability. It was surprisingly easy. Foster won a challenge on the right flank, and Davis floated a cross towards the back post where Diouf, the lone Rangers striker, had drifted off his marker. His header made it three goals without reply for Rangers in Lisbon during their two most recent visits.

Their opponents' pride had been wounded and Mendes' goal started the fight-back. Sporting were also seeking to amend a remarkably poor record against Scottish opposition. Only once in seven attempts had they overcome such a challenge. A win over Celtic in the mid-1990s remains the sole tie in which they have triumphed after the dramatic turnaround last night.

Weir, who had again put his body on the line, was replaced by Kyle Lafferty, while a more orthodox switch saw Vladimir Weiss come on for John Fleck. Rangers took a step back before taking two huge strides forward. Djalo pounced to make it 2-1 on the night, but then came Edu's moment. Healy, from whose cross the American scored, at last made an impact on the field after years of support for the club.

It left a 63-year-old feeling more like the 48-year-old who is waiting to succeed him.